This invention relates to an impulse force estimating device and impulse force estimating method for measuring impulse force associated with striking techniques in, for example, martial arts, and a storage medium which stores an impulse force estimating program.
Flat force platforms have been used to measure impulse force accompanying striking techniques in combative sports, including karate, boxing, and kung fu.
This type of force platform is composed of piezoelectric elements sandwiched between metal plates. The force platform is fixed rigidly to a wall, such as a concrete wall. Striking the platform produces an electric signal, which is used to measure the impulse force.
Since the force platform used in the conventional impulse force measuring techniques is fixed rigidly to the wall, the shock resulting from a blow acts directly on the arm of the striker, which might hurt him.
To avoid such injury, the person whose impulse force is being measured might unconsciously pull his punches when hitting the force platform. This causes the problem of preventing the impulse force from being measured correctly in proportion to the striking force the striker actually possesses.
Furthermore, since the force platform used in the conventional impulse force measuring techniques is fixed rigidly to the wall, mass conditions related to impact are quite different from those for the case where the human body, the original target in striking techniques, is targeted for a blow. This causes another problem: namely, the impulse force measured using a force platform is quite different from the impulse force which would actually act on the human body.
It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to provide an impulse force estimating device and impulse force estimating method capable of measuring impulse force without striking an object, and a storage medium that stores an impulse force estimating program.
An impulse force estimating device according to the present invention comprises an acceleration sensing unit which is attached to a human body and senses the acceleration of movement of the human body and an impulse force calculating unit for calculating impulse force on the basis of accelerations sensed before the time the direction of acceleration sensed by the acceleration sensing unit reverses as a result of the movement of the human body.
Therefore, it is possible to estimate the impulse force correctly without striking an object.